Thunderbird woes

May 10, 2007 10:12 AM

Thunderbird filter: I use two different mail servers depending on my isp (work or home). Both have different outgoing smtp servers. While Thunderbird let's me specify multiple smtp servers (with one as the default), it always throws up an error when I am with the other ISP.

Why doesn't TB automatically choose one (or try both)? If not, why does it even allow me to add multiple ones? I know, it's a minor annoyance but I want to fix it.

posted by special-k to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

You need this
posted by contraption at 10:18 AM on May 10, 2007

Response by poster: Oh contraption, you totally rock. Remind me to buy you a drink at the next bay area meetup.
posted by special-k at 10:51 AM on May 10, 2007

I still wish TB could somehow automatically detect it. I've been using Buttons! to do this for a while.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 11:06 AM on May 10, 2007

I don't know if this is helpful to you, but you can associate an SMTP server with a certain e-mail account in Thunderbird. Go to the "tools" menu, click "account settings", then in the tree view on the left click on the root node for one of your accounts "[e-mail]", or whatever. The last dropdown on the properties page, right above the "manage identities" button, should be "Outgoing Server (SMTP)". It'd be set to "Use Default" if you haven't already changed it, but you can specify a specific SMTP server for each mail account. If you do this, and you only use your work mail account at work and your personal mail account at home, it should eliminate the need for switching SMTP servers all the time. But if you want to use your personal mail at work or vice versa, you may still need an add-on like the one Contraption linked to.
posted by Vorteks at 12:01 AM on May 11, 2007